Container with walls collapsible in a stacked condition



United States Patent [111 3,542,234

[72] Inventor Antonio Bonomi 56 References Cited 7, Piazza Mercato,Pinzolo, Italy UNITED STATES PATENTS [21] P 77-5131 2,868,406 1/1959Kookogey 220/7 [22] Filed Nov. 19, 1968 2,972,430 2/1961 Johnson 220/7X[45] pa'emed 3 402 845 9/1968 E k 220/6X [32] Priority Dem 7,1967 I rlsson 33 Italy FOREIGN PATENTS [31] N0. 60129/67 60,110 5/1912Switzerland 217/15 Primary Examiner-Raphael H. Schwartz [54] CONTAINERWITH WALLS COLLAPSIBLE IN A Attorney-Bryan, Parmelee, Johnson &Bollinger STACKED CONDITION 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

52 us. Cl 220 7; 217/15 [51] Int. Cl 865d 7/28, ABSTRACT: A eighttransport container having a detached B65d 9/18, B65d 9/24 lid, sidewalls collapsible on the bottom panel and provided [50] Field ol'Search217/15,47, with locking and hinge means, so as o be c llapsed in a 12;220/1.5, 6, 7 stacked inoperative condition of reduced overalldimensions.

Patented Nov. 24, 1970 Sheet FIG].

INVENTOR ANTONIO BONOMI 7 ATTRNEY Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,542,234

Sheet. of 2 INVENTOR ANTONIO BONOMI Wm-u, 6 1

PM x g m.

AT RNEY 90 and abut on said bottom. panel 2.

CONTAINER WITH WALLS COLLAPSIBLE IN A STACKED CONDITION BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION The conventional containers for freight transport arecomprised of a box made of different materials such as wood, aluminum,iron, reinforced plastics and so forth, that is a rectangularparallelepiped box of standardized sizes, having a door at one of theshort sides. Such a container is transferred in a loaded condition, as aunit, from a transportation means to another and commercially availablecontainers have a rigid structure, so that their overall dimensions arethe same either in the loaded or empty condition. I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is toprovide means "for considerably reducing container dimensions, when ithas to be transported in an empty or inoperative condition, up to alittle partof its loaded volume (about one fifth), .with an easy andrapid operation.

Another object of the present invention is to allow a very rapidreplacement of each of the elements of the container, without requiringskilled personnel of a special workshop, as the container consists ofseveral elements connected to each other by means allowing an easydetachment in the event of damages.

These and other objects are attained by providing a container accordingto the present invention, in which the lid is detached from the remnantstructure, the. side walls are collapsible on the bottompanel, andsuitable locking and hinge means are provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS For a better understanding of theinvention reference may FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the containerwith collapsed walls, thus reduced for transport in an empty condition;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevational view taken along line 4-4 ofFIG. I; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional detail of the sealed hinge connection between awall and the bottom panel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The container according to thepresent invention is comprised of a plane bottom panel 2, the shortedges of which are connected through hinges 7 to a frame formed by afront frame 1 provided with doors I and a rear wall 3.

The hinges 7 connecting frame I and wall 3 with panel 2 are mountedflush with the upper surface of the bottom panel 2, so that during theircollapsing stage said elements I and 3 turn On the bottom-panel 2 alongthe two long sides there are two shoulders 8 and 9 integral with thebottom panel, the first shoulder 8 being of a height about equal to thethickness of the front door frame 1 and of the rear wall 3, while thesecond shoulder 9 has a height equal to that of shoulder 8 and thethickness of one sidewall. On these two shoulders 8 and 9, the sidewalls4 and 5, respectively, are mounted by means of hinges 10.

The upper lid 6 is comprised ofa cover plane mounted on a peripheralframe and abuts on the walls I, 3, 4 and 5 by means of suitableprojecting edges.

A plurality of inner and outer recesses are provided along the two longsides of the lid peripheral frame and of the shoulders 8 and 9 integralwith the bottom panel frame. The inner recesses I4 are designed forreceiving a number of tie rods 15 serving both as aiconnection of lidwith bottom and as stiffeners of the structure when loaded. The outerrecesses 13 are intended for packing the collapsed container duringtransport in the empty condition by means oftie rods 1], II, II".

The container has also the conventional, standard type corner blocks 12for receiving the hooks of a hoisting apparatus. At the hinge points ofthe walls, seals 16 are also provided for avoiding moisture to enter thecontainer, with the aid of an outwardly and downwardly inclined gap 17between shoulders and the corresponding sidewalls.

The operation of collapsing the container into the reduced volume emptytransport condition is very easy and is as follows: the inner tie rods15 are detached; lid 6 is raised by a suitable hoisting apparatus; frontwall 1 and rear wall 3 are collapsed and in the gap remaining on thebottom panel 2 between said collapsed walls 1 and 3, said tie rods 15are stored; then sidewall 4 is folded down, overlapping walls I and 3;then side wall 5 is folded down, overlapping all the preceding walls; atlast lid 6 is lowered on top of'the collapsed unit and the wholecollapsed container is locked by means of anchoring tie rods ll, 11',11" in the outer recesses 13. The empty container may now be hoisted andtransported at will.

The collapsing operations may be carried out manually, since the jointstrength of two men is quite sufficient, or by a hoisting apparatusacting on suitable connections provided on the outer side of the walls.

cations may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe novel concepts of this invention.

I claim:

1. A collapsible freight transport container structure the type having aremovable lid, a bottom panel having parallel flanges extendingtransversely upward from two parallel edges thereof, sidewalls connectedto said flanges for movement downwardly toward said bottom panel, endwalls connected to the remaining two parallel edges for 90 movementdownwardly toward said bottom panel wherein the improvement comprises:

flanges with their upper surfaces having a generally truncated shapecapable of being hingingly connected to a mating sidewall surfaceforming an outwardly and downwardly inclined gap between each flange andits corresponding side wall;

sealing means positioned in said sidewall surface and extending intodirect contact with the apex of said truncated flange surface forpreventing the entry of moisture into said container through said flangeand side wall gap when the container is in its erected condition;

said removable lid having edges formed as fitted surfaces to engage theside and end walls and lock the same in position when the container isin its erected condition and to fit over and secure in position the sideand end walls that are folded 90 in the collapsed condition of thecontainer; and

hinge means interconnecting said sidewalls and end walls to said bottompanel and recessed within the upper surface of said bottom panel to beflush therewith by virtue of the construction of which the volume ofsaid container in the stacked condition is about one-fifth of its volumein its erected condition.

2. A collapsible freight transport container structure as defined inclaim I, wherein: I

said flanges have a first plurality of recesses arranged along the outersurfaces thereof;

said removable lid has a second plurality of recesses equal in number tosaid first plurality of recesses arranged along the outer surfaces ofthe edges of said lid which are parallel to said flanges;

outer tie rods are connected between each of one of said first pluralityof recesses and one of said second plurality of recesses on thecorresponding side of the container when said lid is placed upon saidcollapsed container whereby said container is held in its collapsedcondition; said removable lid has a second plurality of recesses equalin number to said first plurality of recesses arranged along the outersurfaces of the edges of said lid which are parallel to said flanges;and outer tie rods are connected between each of one of said firstplurality of recesses and one of said second plurality of recesses onthe corresponding side of the container when said lid is placed uponsaid collapsed container whereby said container is held in its collapsedcondition 3. A collapsible freight transport container structure asdefined in claim 1 wherein:

said flanges have a first plurality of recesses arranged along the innersurfaces thereof;

said removable lid has a second plurality of recesses equal in number tosaid first plurality of recesses arranged along the inner surfaces ofthe edges of said lid which are parallel to said flanges; and

inner tie rods, capable of sustaining the container in an erectedcondition under external forces of tension or compression, connect oneof said first plurality of recesses of one of said flanges to one ofsaid second plurality of recesses in said lid edge on the correspondingside of the container whereby said lid is maintained in its correctposition relative to the container bottom and the container side wallsare provided with additional support.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent 3, 542,234Dated November 24 1970 Antonio Bonomi Inventor(s) It is certified thaterror appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, lines 69 through 75, and Column 3, lines 1 and 2, cancel "saidremovable lid has a second plurality of reces equal in number to saidfirst plurality of recesses arranged along the outer surfaces of theedges of said lid which are parallel to said flanges; outer tie rods areconnected between each of one of said first plurality of recesses on thcorresponding side of the container when said lid is placed upon saidcollapsed container whereby said container is held in it collapsedcondition;".

Signed and sealed this 15th day of June 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR. Attesting OfficerCommissioner of Patents

